


Law of Retribution

by RedWiddershins



Category: Team Fortress 2
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, Developing Friendships, Gen, Slice of Life, Team Dynamics, Temporary Character Death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-03
Updated: 2018-04-06
Packaged: 2019-04-17 19:06:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,306
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14195727
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RedWiddershins/pseuds/RedWiddershins
Summary: In hopes of increasing the chances of RED victory, Soldier started a team-building project.The first step of this project was to push Sniper off a roof.It involved a lot more running around than Soldier expected.





	1. Accepting the Sniper's Challenge

**Author's Note:**

> With thanks to my best friend for her support and feedback. Many cheers to her!

During the day, Dustbowl was an unforgiving battlefield. RED mercenaries would defend against the BLU team attempting to capture their control points, hidden within barn-like structures that looked ready to fall apart. Screams declaring domination and childish taunts harmonized with the explosions of launched rockets and pipe bombs. The heat from the desert sun escalated the tension between both teams.

However, nighttime was a different story. Dustbowl was quiet. Mosquitoes buzzed and reveled in the humid atmosphere. The wide expanse of white stars against the ink-black sky replaced the scorching sun. RED and BLU returned to their respective bases, preparing to fight again the next day.

Tonight, two RED mercenaries sat on the roof of the camper van beside their base.

On most nights, only the Sniper would be sitting on top of the roof. However, the Soldier insisted on joining him for the past two days. To refuse Soldier’s demands would only lead to increased persistence. Sniper gave in and accepted his presence.

“We really got them today! Those BLU team maggots didn’t stand a chance against us!” Soldier thumped a fist against his chest, grinning widely at the man beside him.

Sniper nodded, then continued stargazing, as per his routine. He stayed silent.

Not knowing what else to do, Soldier took Sniper’s lead and stargazed as well. He had no idea where he was supposed to look or what he was looking for within the night sky. Sure, the stars looked pretty tonight, but they were always there. There was nothing new about them.

After a few minutes of silence, Soldier wondered if he should say something. As part of his team-building efforts, he had been trying to bond with their resident marksman for the past few days. After all, he rarely saw Sniper in the common room during off-work hours. Whenever he caught him in the common room, he would be sitting by himself, observing the other occupants. When he was not in the common room, at a team meeting, or at the table during mealtimes, Sniper was nowhere to be found. He would often be in his camper van or in his RED-issued bedroom at the base. At least, that was what Soldier heard from Demo.

Certainly, Sniper was a lone wolf. If there were to be any hope of victory for the RED team in future battles, there was no room for lone wolves.

Except for Spy, but Soldier figured that Sniper was easier to talk to first. He could focus on the Frenchman at a later date.

Beside him, Sniper shifted his position on the roof, scuffling his feet towards the side ladder. He looked as if he was about to leave Soldier alone and retire for the night.

His heart pounded. Soldier could not let that happen, not when this team-building project was failing before it started.

In order to keep Sniper’s attention, Soldier did one of the things he was the best at doing.

He screamed.

He screamed as if a BLU Spy stole his rocket launcher, insulted America, and called him a Canadian civilian. It was one of the worse possible insults that Soldier could ever receive.

The screaming echoed off the desert canyons.

Soldier could faintly hear Scout from within the base, yelling at him to shut up. It was either that, or Scout was yelling about buttercups.

Within seconds, Soldier felt a sharp shove on his right arm. He lost his balance, toppling towards the edge of the roof. When he stuck out a hand to balance himself, he also lost his grip on the smooth surface of the van’s roof. He fell, landing face-first in the desert sand.

That stopped his screaming.

Sputtering, Soldier rubbed the sand off his face. He felt around for his helmet, which rolled off an arm’s length away. Once he found his helmet, he dusted it off and wore it. Then, he glared at Sniper.

Sniper was looking down on him with a smirk.  The nerve of this man.

“What was with that insubordination, you camper?”

Although Sniper still wore his aviators, he moved his head in a way that indicated he was rolling his eyes. “What were you trying to do, you wanker? You acted like some rabid animal for a moment!”

“I was attempting team-building, you numbnut!”

Sniper looked down, removing his aviators. “…What?”

“Forget that! But what cannot be forgotten is this insubordination! Under the law of retribution, I also have the right to push you off a roof as well!”

“Like hell I’d just let you push me off the roof of my own bloody van!”

“Then I would have to catch you off-guard next time!”

Sniper scoffed. “I’d like to see you try that. But with those pipes of yours, I don’t think you can do it. No offense, mate.”

Soldier stood up, clenching his fists. “Full-offense taken! I’ll show you where you can shove up your words!”

Challenge accepted, maggot.


	2. Sniper Hunting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> If Soldier wanted to win this challenge, he would need to find the Sniper first.
> 
> This may take a while.
> 
> EDIT: Made minor reformatting adjustments and minor spelling corrections.

With a riding crop in hand, Soldier paced in front of the small boot camp he made for himself. His collection of decapitated BLU heads was situated upon a nearby wooden fence, lined up like new recruits. For some unknown reason, his teammates avoided this area, especially when he mentioned having a training session. It was convenient, as Soldier needed a place to get away from everyone else sometimes. Living with the RED mercenaries and their odd quirks could be grating, even for a seasoned veteran like him.

As he tried to think, Soldier gritted his teeth and quickened his pace.

Three days passed since Soldier accepted Sniper’s challenge. He still had no idea what to do, and considering he participated in tougher challenges in the past, it was embarrassing.

However, he did manage to consider a few tactics.

It was possible for Soldier to sneak up on Sniper in the midst of an intense battle. However, that idea struck Soldier as cowardly. That was a Spy’s job, and he was no Spy. In addition, distracting Sniper may lead to a great loss for the RED team. Sniper would never speak to Soldier again, which would be detrimental to his team-building project.

Since this was the most substantial interaction he had with Sniper so far, Soldier wanted to win this challenge. However, he did not want to sabotage his own team in the process.

What was he supposed to do now?

“Argh!” Soldier swung his riding crop and whipped one of the heads on the fence.

For good measure, he also kicked a nearby metal bucket. The bucket ricocheted off the fence and hit him in the face. He stumbled backwards, feeling dizzy. Spots dotted his vision, making him nauseous. Soldier shook his head until the spots disappeared. However, he now had a headache.

This must be a sign to take a break. Too much thinking could only lead to increased frustration and accidents. It was a wonder how Medic and Engie managed to think for hours on a daily basis.

Soldier marched back to the base for a tactical retreat.

While marching, he decided to search for Sniper. Maybe he would get a more concrete idea if he found him first. He was unable to spend time with him again, as Sniper did his best to avoid the Soldier outside of battle. It was clear he still remembered the challenge.

To cut down on time, a teleporter would make it easier for Soldier to track down the Sniper. One of the closest teleporters Soldier could think of was in the garage, which should be on the other side of the base.

However, all entryways of the garage had a passcode, which made Soldier’s task more difficult.

Ever since an accident involving a cactus, raccoons, and an undercover RED van losing half of its wheels, the rest of the RED team made the democratic decision to change the passcode. They also made the decision to not tell the Soldier of the new passcode. Whenever Soldier needed to visit the garage, Engie or Heavy needed to accompany him.

Soldier thought they were all a bunch of wimps. They should know he needed no babysitters, despite what Heavy said.

He would have to find a new way of reaching the teleporter.

Entering through the back door of the base, Soldier arrived in the decoy hallway. The hallway led to a dead end, acting as a trap for infiltrators. Numerous fake doors lined the hallway, serving as distractions. Only one door led inside the base. 

Having reached the middle of the hallway, Soldier knocked on the only door with a rusty handle. He hoped there was a teammate on the other side, or else he would have to walk all the way to the front entrance. He could not afford to waste any more time!

To his relief, the door opened to reveal the Demo bracing himself against the doorframe.

“Awrite, Solly!” Demo waved, holding a whisky bottle. “What are ye up to?”

“I am going to the garage teleporter!”

Demo stood straighter, as if taking a defensive stance. “Ye cannae do that without supervision, lad. Not after the raccoon incident.” He looked to the side and grimaced. “Why do ye need to go there?”

“I’m on a highly important mission!” For emphasis, Soldier waved his riding crop. Demo’s impromptu interrogation was a distraction. “I’m walking there now.”

Demo held up a hand. His heavy Scottish accent laced with incredulity, he said, “Does that ‘mission’ have anything to do with that cursed screaming last night?”

“Yes! Well, no!” Soldier shook his head. “If I tell you about it, will you stop with this interrogation?”

Demo nodded, swirling his bottle of whisky. He looked ready to chug down the entire bottle in case Soldier’s response was too outlandish.

Soldier had no idea how to phrase his reply in a more tactful manner. It was best to be simple and blunt. “I need to push Sniper off a roof.” Then, he tried to squeeze past Demo’s broad frame. “I will go do that now.”

Demo gripped Soldier’s shoulders, halting him. “Nae, ye humdinger! We’ve all known each other for only a few months, and who knows what Sniper would do to ye? I cannae stand by and leave my best mate to his doom. Even with the respawn system running.”

The concern was touching, but Soldier knew his actions would be for the greater good of the team.

Damn whatever consequences should befall him!

“I am just returning the favour!” Soldier stomped on Demo’s foot, then tackled him in the shoulder. “American style!”

Demo’s eye widened as he staggered backwards, no longer blocking the doorway.

Soldier sprinted, passing the Demo.

However, even at full-speed, he was still slow. Looking behind him, he saw that Demo was already recovering. Soldier needed a distraction.

At that moment, Scout walked out of the inventory room, carrying his aluminum baseball bat on his shoulder. He looked as if he were heading outdoors for batting practice. Unfortunately for him, his plans would have to change.

With Demo pursuing him and the Scout in front of him, there was only one logical action that Soldier could take.

When Scout was within reaching range, Soldier whipped him in the shoulder with his riding crop.

Dropping his baseball bat, Scout rubbed his shoulder. “Ow! Sols, what’s your freaking problem-”

There was no time. Demo was already right behind him.

Soldier grabbed Scout by the shoulders and shoved him towards Demo.

Although Soldier did not look back, he heard Scout screaming as he collided with Demo, knocking them down to the floor.

The stream of curses and confused yells that followed fueled Soldier to keep running. When he arrived at the heart of the base, he reached the white door with the outline of a medical cross within a circle – the Medic’s class emblem.  It meant he was now at the infirmary. With nowhere else to go and with the certainty that Scout and Demo would never follow him in here, Soldier entered the infirmary.

Pushing past the door, Soldier stumbled into the cold room. The smell of blood and bird droppings was overwhelming, making him want to vomit. To distract himself, he stared at the high ceiling, where white doves roosted upon the rafters. When he adjusted to the smell, he looked around. This infirmary was large enough to contain three beds, various medical apparatus, an operating table and a Medi Gun hung from the ceiling. The only saving grace of this room were the windows, even if some of them were cracked.

Upon the operating table was Heavy, bathing under the healing red light of the Medi Gun. He held his ribcage apart, exposing his internal organs to the dusty atmosphere. He was looking up at the Medic with a tilt of his head.

Medic was looking down, poking through Heavy’s organs with a butterfly knife stolen from Spy’s knife collection. He was humming a cheerful tune, muttering a few German words. 

While he never attended medical school – or any type of post-secondary education – Soldier was certain this was not standard medical procedure. Then again, none of the mercenaries adhered to any type of standard procedures. What did it matter, so long the Medic healed them? Although, it did not mean the Soldier would like to spend time with the Medic. He already had nightmares of that man. However, he knew he needed to eventually try bonding with him. For the sake of securing the team’s victory.

He suppressed a shudder.

Soldier had to applaud Heavy for being the willing test subject for Medic’s curiosities. After all, if he had refused, the ÜberCharge would have never existed. The RED team would have been suffering a terrible losing streak against those BLU team maggots. It would have been humiliating.

Another positive effect of Heavy being the willing test subject for the Medic was that the Medic was less active in his efforts to perform surgeries on the rest of the RED team. It was a striking difference from his actions during the first week at work. Although, the Medic did still make efforts to sought out other test subjects. So far, nobody else agreed.

“Herr Soldier, unless you are bleeding to death, please get out.” The Medic did not look at him, but he did pick up his bonesaw, pointing it at Soldier's direction. “That or stay silent.” He then  looked up at the Soldier, flashing an unnerving grin. “Unless you’re interested in seeing our dear Heavy Weapons Guy explode?”

Heavy frowned. “Doctor, you promised!”

Medic shrugged. “It would only happen if Herr Soldier decides to be a dummkopf.” He looked down at Heavy with a look that was almost tender. “You do not think I would purposefully make you explode, do you?”

Heavy made the wise decision to say nothing. However, his frown lessened.

“Good! All possible explosions are very unlikely to happen, in any case. So long the Übervalve in your heart is still working, yes?”

Heavy nodded. “Doctor did good work on those.”

“Of course.”

Soldier shuddered, holding tight to his riding crop. He no longer wanted to be in the infirmary. He would rather take his chances with an angry Scout-Demo pair possibly finding him. He started to walk backwards to the exit, then stopped.

Of course, why did he only think to ask now?

“You maggots know where Sniper would be?”

Medic stared back. “Why do you expect me to know?” Then, he paused, as if remembering something. “Although, knowing the gunman, he’s probably up on the roof.”

This was too perfect. Soldier chuckled in a way that was reserved for BLU mercenaries and enemies of America.

It was Heavy’s turn to stare at him. “Why does little man want to know?”

“I need to push him off that roof.”

Heavy and Medic kept staring at him at a more intense level. Although Soldier was unable to read their facial expressions, he felt the heavy weight of judgement.

The faint humming of the Medi Gun accompanied the soft coos of Medic’s doves.

Looking back down at Heavy’s ribcage, Medic said, “Alright.”

Once the Medic returned his attention back to him, Heavy also looked back into his ribcage.

Perhaps it was a side-effect of being a mercenary for RED. With the constant shenanigans occurring in their everyday lives, it would be useless to care about a possibly homicidal teammate. So long respawn was running and the homicidal tendencies were not targeted at them, there was no cause for concern.

Soldier proceeded to sprint back out of the infirmary.

As he ran down the hallway, he heard the Medic yell, “Whatever happens, don’t expect me to heal you, dummkopf!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!


	3. Going Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Soldier gets lost. He also receives another challenge.
> 
> EDIT: Made a minor reformatting adjustment and corrected grammar/spelling errors.

The good news was that Scout and Demo seemed to have given up on their pursuit. Perhaps stepping into the infirmary was a wise decision. It was as if that place was a repellent.

However, Soldier still had a problem.

He hated to admit it, but he was lost in the base again. Despite outside appearances, the base was large, filled with many dimly-lit hallways. He took the wrong turn and was now wandering. Soon, he came across a red sign with a white arrow pointing down a stairwell. Beside the arrow was an outline of a wrench within a circle – Engie’s class emblem.

Perhaps Engie could point him to the right direction of the stairway leading to the roof.

Soldier kept walking until he spotted the metal door with the same class emblem emblazoned upon it. About to walk into the workshop, he stopped himself. The last time he did that, one of Engie’s sentry bots fired missiles at him. It was a minor malfunction that never happened again, but Soldier would rather not risk respawning when there were no battles. It would be a dishonorable discharge. He knocked on the door and waited.

“Come in!”

Walking in, Soldier took a quick look around the workshop. The ceiling was lower than Medic’s infirmary, but higher than the RED-issued bedrooms. Tools hung neatly upon a wooden board with small hooks. Blueprints and graphing papers filled with scribbled calculations overlapped each other like a collage, taped against faded red walls. The air smelled like grease and heavy metals. There were no windows, and in a way, this room was worse than the infirmary. Not that Soldier would ever admit it aloud.

Scanning the room for Engie, Soldier spotted him crouching behind a sentry bot.

There he was.

Taking a small step forward, Soldier tensed, waiting for the sentry bot to launch missiles at him again. When that did not happen, he relaxed, walking towards Engie.

Engie stood up from his crouched position, adjusting his goggles before looking at Soldier. “Hey there, Solly. What can I do for ya?”

“Where are the stairs?”

Engie arched an eyebrow. “Hey now, didn’t you just come down from them?”

“Not those ones! The ones that lead to the roof!”

Glancing down at his sentry, Engie shook his head. “Sorry, partner. This sentry’s being a damned nuisance right now.” He then picked up his wrench from a nearby workbench. “But I bet our local firebug will be happy to help you.”

Pyro? Soldier would rather not talk to them under most circumstances, but if they were the only option…

“Fine. Where are they?”

“Right in the boiler room. Never seen someone so happy to be in there.” Looking away, Engie crouched back down, whacking his sentry bot with his wrench.

With a salute, Soldier left the workshop. He traveled further down the hallway towards the boiler room, marching to the beat of Engie whacking his sentry bot. When he arrived in front of the boiler room, he noticed the rusty door decorated with glittery unicorn stickers and detailed acrylic paintings of the BLU Spy on fire.

Pyro must have decorated the door.

Soldier doubted he would ever understand their way of thinking. Still, he could appreciate the amount of effort behind the vivid painting. It fueled him with the desire to target the BLU Spy during his next mission.

He knocked on the door, then waited for a response.

Pyro opened the door right away, sticking their masked face into Soldier’s personal space.

Soldier stumbled backwards, dropping his riding crop. Then, when he recovered, he stood up straight and crossed his arms. “Look here, firebug! I’ve been on a goose chase all day, and I need you to guide me up the stairs. The one to the roof, not the one I just came from. Do I make myself clear, private?”

Giving a thumbs-up, Pyro mumbled a response.

It was too bad the gas mask filtered out the more important parts of verbal replies, leaving only mumbles behind. However, Pyro refused to take their mask off. They waved their flamethrower at anyone who made any attempts.

Soldier knew from personal experience.

He remembered that day. It was hard to forget what happened when his hand still had burn scars that respawning could not heal. After all, respawning only restored someone to their previous state, and Soldier had not yet been registered in the respawn system on the first day. The scars were a reminder of how dangerous the Pyro could be, should Soldier ever forget what he witnessed during battles. It was not the best first impression anyone ever gave him, but he had worse.

None of the maggots on this team were even close to the worst first impression he ever had. Still, Soldier liked to keep an arm’s length between himself and Pyro.

Pyro exited the boiler room, shutting the door. They proceeded to skip ahead of Soldier.

After picking up his riding crop, Soldier followed them.

After fifteen minutes, Pyro gestured towards a stairway, making jazz hands. It seemed as if they were mumbling, “Ta-dah!”

Soldier looked to the side. “Thank you for your services, private.”

Then, he bolted up the stairs. Within seconds, he saw the door leading to the roof. He kicked it open. The door swung aside, allowing him to exit on to the rooftop.

Just as Medic guessed, Sniper was up here. He was facing the direction of the door, sitting down on a folding chair. He was cleaning the chamber of his sniping rifle with a rag.

On a nearby wooden crate, Soldier could see the other disassembled parts of the sniping rifle. As he often used a rocket launcher and a shotgun, some of these parts were unfamiliar to him. However, the sniping rifle was still a firearm, and he did recognize a few parts. He recognized the magazine, the barrel, and the receiver scattered across the crate. He also saw a cartridge of ammunition, a toothbrush, a spray bottle of solvent, and a kukri knife.

Sniper’s shoulders were relaxed, his slouch hat and aviators resting near his feet. Instead of wearing his usual frown, he wore a small smile.

Soldier could not recall a time when he saw Sniper this content. He almost felt guilty for interrupting his peace. Almost. He had to continue this team-building project.

Tensing his shoulders, Sniper looked up from his cleaning. “Can I help you, mate?”

Gripping his riding crop with both hands, Soldier said, “I am going to push you off the roof now.”

Under most circumstances, Soldier would tackle Sniper without thought or warning. However, that was a horrible battle tactic. Even though Soldier knew Sniper would have a difficult time defending himself. It was not because a rare feeling within his gut – certainly not guilt – told him that tackling Sniper right away would ruin any hopes of team-building.

Sniper swapped the rag and chamber for his kukri knife. He stood up and took a fighting stance, his knees slightly bent.

Soldier mirrored Sniper’s stance. A kukri knife may be a more conventional weapon than a riding crop, but it was a risk he was willing to take. He was not a coward!

“Really?” Sniper grinned. “Let’s have a go at it!”

“Prepare to have your organs shipped back to Australia in a soup can!”

Another challenge began.


	4. "Next Time" is a Promise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The showdown begins between Soldier and Sniper.

Soldier made the first move. He crouched low and dove for Sniper’s legs, holding out his riding crop.

Sniper stepped to the side. He avoided Soldier’s attempts to pin him down.

This led to Soldier tackling the folding chair. The chair was not designed for this. He toppled over it. He landed on the smooth surface of the rooftop. The folding chair was now flipped over his head. He sprawled out from underneath. This was not his finest moment. His face grew hot. He brought his helmet further down his face. He should be dishonorably discharged.

“That was done on purpose!”

Behind him, Sniper laughed. His laughs echoed off the canyons of Dustbowl.

Growling, Soldier barked, “It was an advanced military tactic that a camper like you cannot understand!”

He shook the folding chair off himself. Then, he stood up. After facing Sniper again, he positioned himself into a low crouch.

With a grunt, Sniper ducked down. He swung his kukri at Soldier’s legs. The kukri cut through Soldier’s pants and met skin. Blood was drawn. He smiled.

Sniper must have gotten a lot of practice from being the frequent target of the BLU Spy.

Soldier hissed at the sting. However, he dealt with worse injuries. Staggering backwards, Soldier raised his riding crop.

Taking a step forward, Sniper thrust his kukri at Soldier’s arm. He was intending to disarm him.

Before Sniper could hit him again, Soldier dropped down to his knees. In the process, he dropped his riding crop. He could hear the blood rushing through his ears. It was a close call, but it was a relief to have avoided that knife.

As Sniper was still following through with the movement of his knife, he was now balancing on one leg. Both of legs were left unprotected against Soldier.

Sniper widened his eyes in realization. “Piss!”

Now was Soldier’s chance. With full force, he tackled the leg Sniper was balancing on.

Knocked off balance, Sniper fell forwards. His face hit the rooftop’s surface with a crack. He groaned.

Metal clattered against the rooftop. Sniper must have dropped his kukri knife.

Soldier barked out a laugh. “This is what we Americans call the law of retribution!” He then looked over his shoulder at Sniper. “You should look it up sometime!”

Sniper was holding a hand to his nose, which was bleeding. Blood dripped on to the rooftop. The dark red colour of the blood blended in with the dark surface of the rooftop.

“When you said you were going to push me off the roof, I never though it’d be this one.”

 With a grin, Soldier stated, “That was your first mistake, maggot.”

Sniper groaned, pressing his forehead into his gloved palm. “You bloody bogan...”

“I am not the one with the bloody nose.”

As Sniper was in no position to move, Soldier was able to grab both of his legs with ease. He then lifted him up, carrying him over his shoulder. With his legs still sore from the previous cut, his legs buckled underneath the additional weight. He dropped to his knees, only increasing the pain. He forced himself to get up. He had a challenge to complete. With sweat dripping down his face, he dragged Sniper over to the ledge of the rooftop.

“Anything left to say before I send you off?”

There was a pause. Then, Sniper replied, “This won’t happen again next time.”

With a grunt, Soldier heaved Sniper off his shoulder and off the roof.

For a few seconds, screaming ensued. Then, there was a thud, followed by cracking. The screaming stopped.

Within the base, the respawn system hummed with energy.

Soldier cackled, placing his hands on his hips. “One small step for team-building, one giant leap for America!”

It was time to take a victory lap.

However, as Soldier ran, he stepped on the folding chair near the ledge. The hinge broke beneath his weight. However, it began to slip underneath his weight. He slid across the rooftop, trying to keep his balance. He was in no position to stop himself. He stopped when the folding chair hit the wall. The momentum caused him to fall forwards. He was going to fall off the roof as well. He screamed. Bracing himself, he prepared for death.

His feet caught upon the ledges of the roof. The momentum caused Soldier to knock his face into the concrete wall of the base. He groaned. He felt blood on his face. His helmet fell off, hitting the concrete below with a clang.

He hung there for a few minutes. His legs were starting to shake and his entire body was becoming sore. He wished Sniper would come back already, even if he only came back to finish the job. Sniper was professional like that.

Leather shoes clicked against the rooftop. For a moment, Soldier thought his prayers have been answered. He breathed a sigh of relief. Then, through the metallic smell of blood, he smelled nicotine and smoked cloves. Soldier could feel his stomach lurching. However, he did not know if it was from the blood loss, the smell of cigarettes, or the fact that it was Spy who was now on the rooftop. It was probably a combination of all three.

“I will not ask what inspired you to take such unorthodox actions. I’ll find it out myself.” The Spy chuckled. “But I will tell you, although the bushman was cursing you out when he walked up from respawn, he seemed to be smiling. The Sniper’s probably planning his revenge.” Then, he paused. “Of course, he could secretly be a masochist. Take your pick.”

“Are you going to help me up, crouton?”

“Hm, non. You brought this upon yourself. Besides, I’m interested to see what happens next. However pointless this may be.”

“You Judas!” What else could Soldier expect from a Spy, even if he was on their team?

Five torturous minutes passed. As if out of mercy, Sniper returned to the roof. He stomped on Soldier’s feet, digging his heel into the soles of Soldier’s boots.

After being weakened from the previous scuffle and blood loss, Soldier’s legs gave out. He lost his grip on the ledge and fell. Wind rushed past his ears. If his hair were longer, he would be like the hero of an action movie.

Before he hit the concrete surrounding the base, Sniper yelled at him. While Soldier could not hear everything, he did hear him say, “The next time we do this, you better make this harder for me! Wanker!”

Then, Soldier felt his neck snap against the concrete below. There was a sickening crack. His vision became dark. When the rest of his body thumped against the concrete, he already died.

Within seconds, he respawned, arriving at the white respawn room.

Instead of walking out, Soldier kept standing. He pondered over Sniper’s taunt. “‘Next time?’” Then, he gave a short cackle that shook his shoulders. “That maggot better be ready!”

It could not be mere coincidence that Sniper mentioned a “next time”. He may have said it in the heat of the moment, but Soldier chose to interpret the taunt as an open invitation to continue this challenge.

This was not the standard method of team-building. At least, not any method that Soldier recognized. However, the RED team consisted of mercenaries who died and killed on a daily basis. Society’s rules and standards can screw themselves. All that mattered now was that the method worked.

After all, Sniper did interact with Soldier. It was more violent than expected, but that was usual for the RED team. Life would be too boring without the violence.

With renewed determination, Soldier marched out of the respawn room.

This was only the beginning of something beautiful.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This has been fun to write! Schedule permitting, I am hoping to write more of this.
> 
> Thank you for reading, you all! It's very appreciated.


End file.
